Police: Plans to live-tweet sting were deterrent

PALMER PARK, Md. (AP) — Police in Maryland say they decided against live-tweeting a prostitution sting because of security concerns — but they believe that announcing those plans served as a deterrent to would-be johns.

Prince George’s County Police say they conducted a sting on Tuesday targeting men who solicit prostitutes and made no arrests over a period of several hours.

Sgt. Dave Coleman is in charge of the county’s vice unit. He says in a statement that he’s participated in hundreds of stings and he can’t remember one in which no arrests were made.

Coleman says the announcement that the department would live-tweet the sting “put johns on notice to not come to Prince George’s County.”

Police say they decided against live-tweeting over concerns that the identities of undercover officers would be revealed.

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